


New Bonds

by Nezanie



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: F/F, Multi, lightning can be taken as being platonic or flirty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-06 20:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20297566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nezanie/pseuds/Nezanie
Summary: On a quiet evening on their way through the archylte steppe, Fang’s cocky mask breaks down. She finds unexpected solace in Lightning who sometimes does seem to find the right words to say and in turn urges Vanille to make a promise and make things right. (VanilleXFangXLightning, FangxVanille is most obvious)





	New Bonds

**Author's Note:**

> t’s cute when the person you love the most exploits your one weakness, rip Vanille. Vaina (My OC) is featured in my other FFXIII fanfic, Kindred Spirits but you don’t really need to read both. This might be my last FFXIII fanfic, although I do have that multific and some small ideas so you never know. In other news, be prepared for some Fire Emblem 3 houses!

The sun’s rays always gave that pleasantly warm tingly sensation across her skin. It was _familiar, _something her body remembered even if the Steppe where she was used to hunting in for hours with her family from Oerba wasn’t always unwelcoming. Cocoon’s sun although the very same seemed artificial in comparison and almost gave her no satisfaction, suffocating her rather than being invigorating.Their fal’cie regulating everything for the Cocoon populace, it was scary how dependent they seemed on them. Fang could only laugh at the mere thought of having been so afraid of the scum and vipers of Cocoon, enemies of Oerba and all Pulsians. She didn’t feel like bursting into that laugh remembering how their elders fed them to their own Fal’cie.

And the military, the PSICOM weren’t to scoff at - sort of, the lower ranks were comparable to prey. The elites? Not so much, and their civilians were far from the monsters their elders had painted them to be. Funny how being wrong not only made it worse for Fang, it was almost hilariously so as the guilt wrecked her. And then there was Vanille, who kept her mouth shut. If Fang felt like shit, she probably wasn’t faring much better.

She spun her weapon adjusting her stance to a defensive position and glanced to her beloved. Vanille lay prone, resting. Her body leaning, by the rocks near the waterfall, against a chocobo - one of the smaller ones from the herd they had rescued from the Sahagins. It settled beside her sharing body temperature, his head in her lap. She had always had a way with the animals. 

The group had decided to settle for the night in the avian steed’s resting grounds. Here they had quick access to water and now that they took care of the pests it was the safest place for miles. In the morning, they’d make their move and make their way back home…

_‘Home…’_

It sounded strange to say it after all these years. Years she didn’t get to feel except the gut wrenching drop in her stomach when they figured centuries had passed. Fang hadn’t thought of the place in ages and it had been a rather conscious decision to do so. Let alone planning to go back, not after all that transpired. None of the kids would be there. None of their family. None of the shitty elders either and it wasn’t as much of a pleasant thought as Fang once decided it could be. The 500 years of weight was too much too bear. 

Her parents and Vanille’s, among countless other children, had died a long time before they had been branded I’cie. Many of the adults hadn’t survived the beginning of the war and many more would die as it progressed. Like Fang’s older brothers, all of them hunters who had passed on their knowledge to her in their father’s stead. Vanille’s younger brother, who succumbed to illness due to the scarcity of medicine as the importation became difficult to handle. It was up to the scavengers, dispatched with the hunters to gather medicinal plants and herbs as much as possible from then on. Somehow Oerba had found a way to survive without depending on the larger villages.

Vanille’s older sister became a point of referral at age 17, she took over the orphanage and her infectious positivity became of guidance even to some of their elders. Vaina Dia Oerba, eight years older than Fang was a force to be reckoned with intent on living to the fullest and pulling the kids along with her. Vanille had loved her to bits. Then it all went to shit…

“You’re tired or something?”

The annoyed rasp in her voice brought Fang back to the present before she could fully immerse in the memory. Fang took a deep breath, regarded the soldier with a trained huntress assessment and nodded toward their spectator with a smug smirk, “I dunno, you ready to stop with the grandmama moves yet? Ya put Vanille to sleep,”

Lightning’s brow knitted clearly disgruntled by the jibe. Maker, Fang loved messing with her, she was much less stiff than any of the group gave her credit initially. Though she didn’t quite like the idea of getting another slap to the face, the older sister in Lightning was a fun gal.

“Very funny,” she scoffed at Fang’s remark, it didn’t stop her from checking on the younger girl. It was sweet how attached she was to the youngest kiddies of their group. How the harshness in her tone was filtered for those two in particular. Though the Fal’cie were more likely to come up to them and beg forgiveness than Lightning Farron admitting she liked anybody.

“I am, thanks for noticin,” Fang’s grin grew larger than ever, motioning with a hand for her sparring partner to bring it on. Lightning seemed to take offense at her nonchalance, “Come on my broody dear, I’ve still got some fight left,”

No reply. Lightning simply opted to kick off with trademark sour expression delivering a heavy blow onto Fang’s own weapon. Cripes she barely managed to raise her pole in defense on time, what was up with that? Her arms felt like they would creak under the sudden pressure of the gun-sword against her spear. At least she hadn’t tried to shoot her in the face. Good fun, this cocoon born was.

They exchanged a few blows on the spot, Lightning seemed to dance out of the way every time an edge of her spear came any closer. Right after she was back in her face. It was thrilling, and a welcome distraction from her own brooding. Fang really had no right to tease her for being so sour faced when her mind was spinning faster than a chocobo with its tail feathers on fire. Vanille might have been_ looking_ okay with going to Oerba; which was a big fat lie no matter how much she smiled and pranced around jovially. Fang could see the slight tremble in her lip, the way her hands couldn’t stop shaking and how her eyes hazed a little; they always did when she was close to tears. Fang hated being unable to offer kind words, despised herself in finding a little satisfaction in Vanille’s state after she had kept her in the dark for so long.

Lightning had apparently had enough, letting her stance relax and her sword slide down parallel to her leg. She gave Fang that _look_, the one telling her she should prepare for a lecture. A hand on her hip as she studied the best way to confront the huntress.

Fang obviously tried to encourage her _not_ to bring it up, “What? Givin up already?”

Lightning fought the urge to roll her eyes, glancing back at the sleeping Vanille, a chuckle tugged out of seeing how she was completely slumped onto the chocobo now, nearly drooling on its poor feathers.

“Fang you’re being sloppy, you’re never sloppy,” she pointed out deciding to take the direct route. Fang wasn’t Vanille, she could take a beating verbal or other and Lightning never held back against her. Lately she’d become aware Vanille was made of tougher stuff than her initial misgivings of the childish teen, and yet there was something that always kept her from being too harsh on her. An inkling of familiarity, similar to how she felt about Hope, a sort of sibling protectiveness but not quite that at all. The fact Lightning was weak to tears might have been a factor, Serah had exploited that so many times she stopped counting. The younger ones of their group were admittingly starting to have the same hold on the ex-soldier. It was some sort of affection she couldn’t quite place and she held Fang in the same regard.

“I’m just a bit winded,” she waved her off, as if the implication was nothing short of ridiculous. It usually was but heck even Fang was human, L’cie empowered or not. She avoided eye contact, crossing her arms and checked on Vanille yet again. She focused on the trickling of the stream beside them, trying in vain to calm her nerves.

Lightning hummed in disagreement, sheathing Blazefire and wondering how she ended up the counselor when she might just need therapy the most out of all of them. It was becoming the norm that she was the one being counseled as of late. Even Snow was better at this pep talk business, his optimism infectious enough to cheer his fellow L’cie. To cheer _Lightning_ on.

“Fang, you nearly slipped on wet rocks, grass or whatever your excuse was because you were spacing out,” Lightning countered moving quickly in front of her and narrowed her eyes in warning. Fang didn’t dare turn around again, finding Light’s mothering nature difficult to deal with.

“Stubborn ain’t ya, I’m not your little sister yea?” she commented obviously not quite into the idea of sharing. They both were the sort to act in the now, regret later. Those types of fools, sometimes they’d fail to ask before doing anything and let their mouths run at the worst possible time. Then when it came to bite them, they’d clam right up when in fact they needed to fess up.

“Fang, please, I get it our own feelings aren’t directly translated into words, it’s the same for the both of us,” Lightning hit the nail on the head, causing the other to knit her brows, temper bubbling underneath the carefree facade, “But, you can’t snap at every other moment we’re in some deep shit because you’ve kept it in too long,”

“It’s not gonna happen again, plus it went well I got Bahamut didn’t I?” Fang wiped the sweat off her face, giving her back to Lightning and taking a few steps away kicking at the dirt,. She tossed up some earth and grass as her foot dug into the ground. Lightning called out to her but Fang cut her off. “What the heck do you want me to say so you get of my case, Light?”

“First, _we_ got Bahamut and second, I don’t know, _maybe?_” she replied, her voice faking wonder, “Uhm? Whatever the hell is tormenting you? Is it about Vanille? Or your brand? Or her brand?” It usually was one of those reasons, the latter two conjoining with her memory loss. “Is it about Oerba? You don’t want to go back home?”

Fang laughed, a high pitched empty sound, mocking. “Home? Light, home is where your family is right? You lost your home when you lost Serah, not when you become L’cie, didn’t ya?”

She swiveled back towards Lightning who looked like she was ready to pluck her eyebrows off one by one. She never liked having people figure her out no matter how small the circumstance.

“Your point?” she hissed the stare down Fang gave her returned with her own challenge in the tone of her voice.

“My point is, we woke up in that goddamn Vestige five hundred years in the fucking _future_,” She spat before turning visibly upset towards the slumbering Vanille. She sighed in relief noticing not even the echoes of her loud proclamation had stirred her, maker bless the girl’s heavy sleeper tendencies.

“You, _you’re_ scared?” Lightning sounded genuinely surprised, however insightful and observant she could be, sometimes she had a one track mind and noticed only what she needed to or paid attention to.

“Hilarious innit? I can face a behemoth with a goofy smile on my face but I can’t take the thought of finding out what we left everybody at,” she kicked the water this time, letting the cold temperature lap at her feet taking away some of the extra heat. She’d have dived right into it if it had been deep enough.

“It’s more, hmm, understandable, I’m not exactly feeling like I’m on vacation,” Lightning chuckled, it had been the first time Fang opened up now that she thought about it. The last time she had been this honest was when Bahamut came to her. “I think I’ve used up a lifetime of adrenaline,”

“Oh, you’ve got jokes now,” Fang said good humoredly. Her face fell immediately, passing a hand through her messy short hair she let out a big breath, “When we woke up it was a chore just to pretend we were from Cocoon, we needed to know what was going on so we asked, dude looked at us like we had grown a second head, said the war of transgression was over. ‘You’re 500 years too late, sweetheart.’ or something along those lines”. Fang exhaled, “he laughed so much it was almost contagious,”

“And then you punched him,” Lightning sighed, guessing.

“Pfft, _No_,” Fang snorted, earning a quirked brow from Lightning who found the lack of violence surprising, “I kicked him in the balls.” The crude remark left the other almost gaping.

“Fang!”

“Oh, sorry, wasn’t in the mood for Mr. laugh at the horror stricken ladies, so my leg just got ‘im,” she shrugged, raised her hands clapping them onto her hips, stern and still quite pissed at the memory, “You gonna zip it and let me be sappy and share orrrrr what?”

Lightning put up her hands in defense before gesturing for her to continue. 

“So we were alone, just like that, hell if anyone survived all the L’cie inductions let alone the ravages of _time _it be nothin’ short but a maker’s miracle,” she continued, crossing her arms and staring into space, probably reliving her own retelling whilst she spoke of it, “I probably lost it, didn’t wanna think about it, so I didn’t and focused on getting Vanille’s focus back on track. The rest is pretty much history, we messed up, got separated and then found you guys. Our lucky break,”

“Fang...” Lightning strode towards the huntress, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s hard, I mean, I lost my parents when I was not even Hope’s age _or_ height,” Fang admitted, clicking her tongue, “My brothers went off one by one, so I was at the orphanage pretty young. She waved a hand at her fellow Oerban. “Vanille was already there, I’d seen her here and there. It’s not like we’re not used to loss,”

“I don’t know about you but being sent to a world centuries in the future would mess me up a little too,” Lightning responded trying to sound encouraging.

“Huh? You don’t say? Fucked with us really bad alright,” she admitted, gazing tenderly towards Vanille, “But she, Vanille had her sister, she left her to cover up for me after I flared up against the elders. We were all bein’ shipped to the fal’cie puppet factory and I couldn’t take it anymore. I snapped, like I always do. How could I let her go through that pain again? I didn’t want to see her that desperate ever again,”

“It’s not like you protect her just to atone,” Lightning shook her, giving her a small smile, “Vanille thinks the world of you too, you’ve both made mistakes in earnest to help each other. I can’t blame that, I was ready to fight a fal’cie for Serah and I did. I messed up too Fang.” Heck, she had been ready to blow a hole in Eden in a suicidal attempt to get at their former masters.

Fang’s eyes seemed to shine a little, in awe at the idea that she wasn’t as much as a monster as people made her out to be. As she sometimes felt for the whole Ragnarok business. She stepped closer, letting her head fall onto Lightning’s shoulder. The woman took a step back at the added weight and felt the sudden display of affection spreading warm feelings in the pit of her stomach. She stiffened, relaxing into the idea of physical contact before raising raised her arm around Fang’s head, trying to pat her head. 

Seeing as the action didn’t have the soldier recoil and was met positively, Fang whipped her arms round Lightning’s waist pulling her along and slamming her against her own body. It felt like her anxiousness was melting away as the other exclaimed in surprise, ultimately returning the hug.

“_Shit_, it was just too much,” she mumbled into her neck. Lightning shivered, and patted her back a little forcefully. Unused to tender moments, both weren’t really sure when or how to let go. A little sneeze from behind her got her glancing back to the forgotten sleepyhead of their current team. A chocobo feather must have tickled her nose, yet the redhead’s eyes remained closed. 

‘How much can that girl sleep?’ Lightning thought surprised by how long she’d been napping. They’d made quite a bit of noise training.

She was about to let Fang cheer up in her own time, the woman let her go immediately following the sleepy pitch in from Vanille. Fang turned back to her with the usual easygoing smirk plastered on her face. “Thanks, appreciate it!” she sang happily leaning down to give Lightning a quick peck on her lips, and had her freeze to a solid block of a woman in the process. “That’s a load off my stomach that’s for sure.” And with that chipper remark she raised her hands behind her head and trotted towards Vanille.

“_Hey_! What was…! Don’t you Pulse people know decorum?” she said affronted, the flabbergasted look making Fang quirk a brow as she stormed after her.

“Huh? What? Don’t you guys know what a kiss is?” she teased never losing the smile, knowing very well what the problem was. “Relax, I was just thankin ya, s’not like I seduced you or somethin,” 

“You guys kiss just whoever?” Lightning demanded an answer from her confused tone, feeling a strange pang through her heart at the thought of the two playin’ around like it was nothing major.

Fang retained her playful demeanor though her expression hinted at having taken a little offense, “We’re taught that showing the people you care about appreciation is good practice, that be all, and newsflash sunshine I _do_ like you,”

Lightning opened her mouth to say something, she stopped putting two plus two together and realising she knew next to nothing of practices on Gran Pulse. If the people were being shipped off to become L’cie as if it was nothing, it would not be farfetched to think they had different upbringing in terms of culture. With the way Fang and Vanille talked of the Oerbans, they made it sound like the whole village was one big family, polyamory amongst their customs wasn’t too much of a stretch was it? After all, new life could also bring new puppets for the fal’cie.

“I thought you and Vanille…” Lightning coughed letting the implication in the air explain.

“Oh well, yeah, Vanille’s a few steps ahead in the like department but it’s not like you can’t catch up,” she winked, and irritatingly Lightning found herself flushing red at the cheeks from the invitation. Fang squinted down at their companion and hummed in thought as Lightning tried to wrap her mind around the sudden swerve their conversation had taken. “Hmm,” she hummed pensively, “It’s not like we marry off 10 people but it’s not uncommon for a trio to be in a relationship in Oerba,”

“Well, I...I don’t hate you, on the contrary,” she admitted, her expression not quite looking like a friendly confession all scrunched up in her awkwardness, “Wouldn’t Vanille be jealous though?”

“Light, for my part I know I’ve got a big chunk of Vanille’s heart that’ll always be mine, I trust her love for me, and I know she does the same,” she shook her head in disbelief, kneeling down to pat the redhead. The chocobo had removed himself from her lap, settling his head on the soft green grass and pushed against Vanille’s leg. Vanille had shifted her arms covering her face using his back as a pillow, body angled against the giant bird. “A little jealousy is always healthy anyway, but if it makes you feel better, why don’t you ask the little rascal herself?” She raised her hand gently bonking Vanille on the head. A laugh came from the prone figure and Vanille peaked at them sheepishly from between her arms.

“Sorry, I thought I shouldn’t disturb you,” she sounded anything but apologetic, giggling as Fang pinched her cheeks and pulled a little but not too roughly.

“Oh really? Can’t say I believe you just weren’t a curious little mouse and eavesdropped on the whole thing giddily,” Fang laughed as Vanille whimpered pleading to be let free. The girl clapped her palm against Fang’s wrist pleading mercy.

“Ffvaaannngg,” she cried kicking her legs out as the larger girl pushed her back releasing her. She rubbed her reddened cheeks with her lip quivering although she could barely contain herself from laughing and it showed in the twitch of her mouth nearly forming a smile.

Fang got back up to her feet, triumphantly flexing in a pose. She waved a hand in Vanille direction looking at Lightning in mocking disbelief. “Hey, Light, hearin’ the little squirts excuses ain’t ya?” 

It didn’t seem like she was really angry a mischievous glint in her eyes as she feigned a grumpy look, Fang had probably not much she wanted to keep from Vanille unlike the younger girl, she was blunt and straightforward. It was just that every opportunity to have some fun was not to be wasted. Fang loved messing with the situation no matter what.

“Listening to people’s private discussions just like that, how about I tell Lightning some of_ your_ secrets?” she cocked her head to one side watching as Vanille’s smile got wiped off in milliseconds, her eyes widened in horror.

“You _wouldn’t_!” Vanille slammed her hands curled into fists, by her side onto the ground, “That’s not fair, you knew I was here, that I could wake up?”

Lightning watched them bicker like children suddenly feeling like she was intruding, just a little bit, until Fang addressed her.

“Hey, did she tell you she thinks Serah’s a real cutie?!” she chimed knowing Vanille would have never voiced that particular opinion to the overprotective older sibling.

Lightning pursed her lips in a thin line at the new information relating to her sister’s attractiveness. She must have seemed a little cross with how panicky Vanille looked once she glanced down at her.

“Oh Chocobo crap, Fang, stop!” Vanille cried out in shock, tripping on her feet as she tried to get up. She pushed with her hands to keep running up to Fang and tried to get her to quiet down by planted her crossed palms on the other’s mouth. Anything to try and prevent her from leaking something even more embarrassing.

“Don’t worry Light, no need to feel left out,” she laughed like a kid with a room full of birthday presents seeing Vanille all flustered. Her words got cut off every now and then, muffled by Vanille’s attempts to stop her from talking. “She thinks... you’re insanely attractive, too,” Fang cleared her throat trying to imitate Vanille’s higher pitched voice, “_those Farron genes really are something else,”_

Lightning bit her lip trying not to snort at Vanille’s expense. She couldn’t help a little smile. Her eyebrows shot up at the new detail and she slapped a hand on her forehead observing the smaller girl jumping around Fang. Her ears were starting to turn as red as peppers. Her whole body was slowly turning she same colour of her hair. She had to admit it was rather adorable. And Fang probably knew it.

“Ah but I gotta save the best for last,” Fang ducked poking Vanille on one side and got her to shriek. The girl stepped back eyeing Fang sceptically, her eyes narrowed alongside with Fang’s growing grin. The prankster was not done yet and it seemed the smaller girl had an inkling where this was going. Lightning raised her head curiously as Vanille backed away slowly whilst the huntress croached circling her. It seemed she absolutely didn’t like whatever Fang’s intentions were and it wasn’t the first time she’d seen the near predatory look on her.

“We can’t let her off easy ay Light?,” her eyes darted to Lightning, the woman knew how to keep attention on her.

“Don’t involve me in your childish pastimes, would you?” she said with no bite to her sting of a comment.

“Stop it right now, I’m warning you Fang,” Vanille pointed at her beloved sternly. The moment she opened her mouth, backing slowly one foot at a time, she slipped off near the stream and turned around to regain her balance. Fang took it as an opportunity to pounce her next poke connecting to her stomach.

“Secret number two! Vanille’s insanely ticklish, like all over her body,” Fang looked like she was having the time of her life, “It’s the most fun thing,”

“No! Urgh Fang,” Vanile whined dodging another attempt to catch her, “That’s so not fair! It’s not fun at all,” She sent a pleading look to Lightning, “I am not she is so lying!”That, now, was an obvious attempt to bail herself out of the unwanted attention.

Lightning couldn’t help but giggle softly at the silly exchange. It definitely lifted the mood up, and Fang was looking already very much like her old self. Not a wasted movement as she pranced around after Vanille, who started to feel a little out of breath as Fang tried to make her use up all her energy. 

“Not Fun? For you maybe!” she placed her hands on her knees, devicing the best way to catch the slippery cutie. She caught Lightning’s gaze then and motioned with her head for her to join in.

“Ha, as if she’d help you,” Vanille mocked. It would be surreal. Absolutely impossible.

Fang nodded with an exaggerated sigh, “You’re right, Light would totally lose to your speed, yeah Vanille?” 

Vanille’s face fell into a desperate look. It would be ridiculous, unless Fang made a competition out of it.

That hit a nerve. She could see it in the twitch of Lightning’s eyebrow.

Lightning smiled ominously, or at least it seemed so to the cornered girl. The strawberry blonde lifted her arms, pulling her elbows in a stretch, one after the other. “I guess I’m up for a little more exercise,”

Vanille gulped, disbelief quite apparent as Lightning chose to address it with her own little grin. “Vanille, I have a _little sister_, what makes you think I don’t have experience in tormenting her?” Besides, she really did want to see who was faster.

Vanille hummed in thought, her head bobbing up as she made her decision on the next move she should make. She wondered if the feeling of sweating was just her imagination as they eyed her, scrutinising her every twitch, waiting for her next move. Dang, she was so dead. 

“Yeah, I'll get back to you on that, _ciao!_” With that final greeting, she made for a strategic retreat running as fast as she could, with the two hot on her heels. Her nap had to give her some advantage, they had been training for longer than she had been awake, they were bound to be tired. And how long were the boys gonna take to hunt them some dinner?

She hadn’t counted on how well the pair worked together. Lightning was suddenly in front of her as she skidded to a stop nearly shrieking as she jumped away from her outstretched arms. Fang was onto her already cutting her way out and making her step back until her back hit the rocky formation behind her.

“Is there no way to call it a draw?” she whined, cornered.

Fang face turned deadpan, “Have we ever had a truce between us, love? Have I ever let Lightning win without a fight?” She pounced her and Vanille yelped as a cold hand touched her back, luck was on her side as she managed to slip away from below. Shrieky laughter burst from her in victory and as she raised her hands in triumph Vanille forgot about the other giving her chase until her face smacked right into Lightning chest.

“Guess I won, huh?” she grinned at Fang, who snapped her fingers as she tried to catch a breath, mumbling swears at the how lucky the other was. Vanille mewled in defeat her head bumping against her shoulder. The two competed even when ganging up on the poor Vanille, it was almost irksome had it not given her a moment of distraction she needed to escape.

Unfortunately, Lightning caught on fast, the hands holding down on her shoulders were gone as she tried to shimmy away from their grip, an arm appearing around her waist in their stead. It pulled her off her feet and a cry died in her throat as she was thrown in Fang’s direction. Her head was so caught up in landing on her feet she didn’t notice Fang behind her until she had strong, sunburnt arms round her neck. Fang planted a kiss against Vanille’s nape as she used her weight to bring her along onto the ground. 

Vanille yelped, opening her eyes as she was rolled around, the other straddled her reducing all probability of getting away to zero. She caught Fang’s wrists in a vain attempt to stop her from inducing the promised torment and they struggled for a bit, as she pushed her feet into the floor. Fang’s weight, as always, proved too shacklesome and she couldn’t throw her off especially as the woman tried to pry her hands free taking away some of Vanille’s focus.

She’d forgotten about Lighting until she felt fingers against her neck drawing lines with nails barely ghosting over her skin. The twinkle in Lightning’s eyes was something so new it almost left her breathless. It was so tingly and frustrating, even though her neck wasn’t even that sensitive the woman seemed to know what she was doing and caused her to buckle. She tried to shrug and cover her neck as best as possible but the action gave Fang leeway to free her hands and join in the fun. Fang gave her partner in arms some space to join towering above their captive, and they ghosted nonsensical patterns over her bare skin making her regret not opting for more clothes. Fang started out from under her arms moving down to her thighs. Lightning own hands danced across her stomach and sides.

“Stop! Ha, Ah! S...top. Stop!” she begged thinking about anything and everything but the strange sensation the pokes gave her all over.

Kicking as hard as she could she heard Fang snicker at the futility. It didn’t even move them at all. Vanille bit down on her lips, shaking her head and trying not to give them the satisfaction of hearing anything beyond angry, half said words. She closed her eyes and tried concentrating on the different cries of ‘kweh’ coming from the grazing chocobos.

“Come on, Vanille,” Fang deliberately whispered into her ear, which was the lowest move ever, her voice husky and Vanille just knew she wasn’t going to be let off easy. Right then and there she promised she would remember this and get back at both Fang and Lightning. “Where’d your cheekiness go?”

She heard Lightning let out a puffy chortle, her eyes had been closed shut until then. Vanille managed peak enough to glare at the two. They were smiling down at her so fondly she was a little taken aback by the sudden emotion it surged in her chest, it made her lose her concentration just as Fang pressed, pinching and tickling into the most sensitive spots she discovered over years of companionship. Vanille managed to get a hand against Fang’s face, lifting herself up a little which unfortunately gave them access to her back. Fang caught her hand kissing it and she relaxed at the gesture giving them an opening. She had no idea who did it, the moment it happened when either of them lightly traced down their nails down her spine she was putty in their hands and lost it, completely at their mercy.

She snickered through gritted teeth until she could no longer resist the urge and laughed out as hard as she her lungs allowed. She heard triumph in their voices as they exclaimed when her body's instinctive reaction to took over. Her legs flailed in vain as the two tortured her into submission and she crumpled into a fetal position. Lightning managed to finally pin her hands to the side and her words were drowned, coming in between ragged breaths and peals of gigglers - her only means of defense were now gone and another every part of her ticklish self was exposed for them to exploit.

“No..._fair_!”

“You asked for it,” Fang said rather patronizingly.

“D-did!,” A set of giggles forced her to cut off her reply. She had to repeat herself. “Did! Not!”

“Make Light stop!” she didn’t know how the soldier did it, no one was as good as Fang in tickle wars but she was just as skilled. If not even more, the delicate pattern she was drawing on her skin was beyond torturous.

“Aww, don’t spoil _her_ fun,” Fang cooed wickedly pressing a kiss across her collarbone without relenting. Light nudged her lightly in warning. She could see the tears forming in Vanille’s eyes.

Since the pair had their fill of entertainment at Vanilles expense, they rolled off the girl to sit by her side as she curled up, eyes closed, breaths deep and in quick succession to let all the electric jolt like sensations die down. Fang laid down sprawled and unguarded, leaning into her back and heaving satisfied a long breath.

“Man, lucky we didn’t get kicked in the face... for once,” she teased, earning a growl as Vanille lazily patted the grass next to her trying in search for her enemy. She cracked an eye open and shoved her foot into Fang’s hip, kicking back.

“You suck!” she stuck her tongue out merely increasing the enjoyment Fang was getting out of playing her. It was Fang’s turn, in the never ending games of friendly competitions to get one another worked up, to bask in the glory of one upping the other.

“Yeah I’m good at that too,” the self satisfaction practically radiated from her entire poise. She patted Vanille’s hip, “Not when we’ve got company love.” The retort was said in jest spinning her words so crudely even Vanille was giving her the stink eye.

“I swear my revenge will be slow and vicious,” Vanille proclaimed, rolling her eyes.

“Oh look she still wants more,” Fang humphed getting her to Vanille squeal at the fingers wiggling closer to her, she barely had any energy to do anything than turn away and hit Lightnings hip with her head as she scurried away. The older woman taking pity on her put a protective hand around her shoulders and shot Fang a warning glance.

“I was kidding, wow, protective much,” Fang brows raised at the gesture, she had always known Vanille was good at getting in people’s good graces. It still surprised her to see them this close considering this was Lightning, Mrs stick in the mud. Perhaps they’d broken more than a few boundaries in the last 12 hours especially since their time in the Ark. Lightning started to hold them all in place ever since her newfound hope in reviving her sister. They had at least given her something Fang mused, for all the things they’ve taken from her.

The sudden silence must have alerted Vanille to her current state of mind. The light tap against her thigh had her grunting in reply, alerting the other she was listening without needing to look. 

“Hey Fang?” her voice was so small and uncertain it had Fang snap back into reality from her lazy gazing. It must have been important for Vanille to be at a loss for words. She always seemed to struggle when things got too complicated. Vanille had to be honest about herself, brooding on her own about how not to hurt people, trying to selfishly make everybody happy without realising it just messed things up. Fang didn’t hate that side of Vanille, it just made her worry, stressed her out sometimes though she wasn’t innocent in taking the matter into her own hands and rushing things.

“Mhmmm,” she hummed softly, trying not to startle her into silence.

“You know I’ll be okay right? I’ve got you,” she shuffled closer to her, planting her side into Fang’s like a small animal seeking solace. Fang felt her heart swell with pride at the loving gaze full of trust staring back adoringly. “We’re not alone anymore, so I can be brave, for our family, for you especially. And you’ll be okay because you’ve got me and everybody now,”

“Aww, Vanille,” she plopped her head on the redheads pressing a kiss on top, “I know, I always let my worry cloud my head way too much. It’s gonna be okay, yea.” And it did feel like it would be, saying it out loud, after feeling their support firsthand made it easier to believe. They chose Fang to fight by their side, a broken L’cie they wouldn’t abandon even when she tried to run away from them. 

Lightning adjusted her position by Vanille’s side, close enough to clap an encouraging hand on Fang’s shoulder blade. She remained in silent agreement a pleasant smile as she allowed Vanille’s snuggling into her side and pulling Fang along to sandwich her between them. It was rather cute how bold she could be. Fang’s heart was made to flutter, seeing the same confidence in Fang in the soldier’s eyes, it was so energizing she felt she could take a behemoth empty handed. And perhaps with this novel strength they seemed to transmit to one another, even facing the remnants of their past wouldn’t be so difficult.

_‘Home, sweet home….Oerba...here we come,’_ Fang thought letting the warmth of the sun lull her to sleep. 


End file.
